Meet the Embedded Tutors

Catherine C. Wadbrook, MA, MEd. 

Tutoring Specialist, Online Learning Lab

I have been at ACC since 2015 as an adjunct professor of English, teaching dual credit Composition and Literature courses, and Technical Writing.  I have over 30 years of teaching experience (Composition and Rhetoric, Literature, Tech Writing, Public Speaking, Language and Culture, and ESL) both here in the states and abroad in Japan and South Korea. 

Since February of 2021, I have been employed in a full-time Tutoring Specialist position with the Online Learning Lab at ACC and am also a member of the Distance Education Title V InFocus grant team as an Embedded Tutor. 

Since taking on this new role, I have helped to grow the Embedded Tutoring Program by conducting pilot studies and disseminating best practices. I have also provided training for tutors and faculty, worked with the Title V team to achieve grant objectives, and have supported over 90 course sections as an Embedded Tutor.

I believe all students are capable of success and have the right to feel valued and respected. I enjoy working in collaboration with faculty to help students to reach their goals, increase confidence in their skills, and achieve success in their academic endeavors. 

Writing is hard work, but I help students improve their skills through effective strategies and practice. As a tutor, I push students to do their best, help them to master course material, and meet their professor’s expectations.

I hold a BA in Economics and an MA in English, with a specialization in Teaching Writing, from Virginia Tech and a MEd in Curriculum and Instruction, with a specialization in Instructional Technology, from the University of Texas at Austin. I also hold a Texas teaching certificate.

I look forward to working with you!

Teresa Gazella

I have always loved being a part of the academic world! When I was a kid growing up in the West Texas city of Odessa (made famous in the movie Friday Night Lights, by the way), I turned my bedroom into a classroom, where I taught reading and math to my dolls; I loved to play with the office supplies at my father’s work; heck, I wanted an overhead projector for Christmas! It was only natural, then, that I would become a teacher: it’s a title I have proudly held for the past thirty-four years. In that time, I have taught everything from seventh-grade remedial English to senior Advanced Placement literature to my current position as an adjunct professor of English and an online tutor for Austin Community College. I have loved all of it and look forward to many more years of working with students in their academic pursuits.

En route to becoming a purveyor of language and literature, I received a BS in Education from U.T. and an MA in English from UT Permian Basin. When I am not working, I enjoy reading (historical fiction and travel narratives are my favorite genres), teaching myself the classical guitar, quilting, hiking, working out, playing disc golf, and walking Gracie, my ten-year-old heeler mix. I am active in my church and zealous in my efforts to be a wise and fun aunt to my nephew and niece in Austin.

Thousands of students have passed through my classroom doors, and I am constantly struck by the fact that not always do the smartest, most brilliant students pass the course, but the hardest-working, most determined ones always do. If you’re ready and willing, so am I! 

Good luck and have a great semester!

Selena Modelo Laine, B.A. English, M.Ed.

I am a dedicated and experienced educator with a passion for teaching and supporting students. With six years of teaching experience, specializing in English Language Arts for grades 9-12, as well as expertise in Yearbook and Journalism, I bring a wealth of knowledge to the tutoring position.

In 2011, I obtained my B.A. in English from UC Berkeley, with a minor in Education, and pursued my education career in 2018, where I began my credential program and master’s degree simultaneously. I received my MA in Education in 2020 from National University. 

Throughout my career, I have actively contributed to my school community. I served as the Co-Lead Teacher of the LEAD Academy, demonstrating my leadership abilities and commitment to academic excellence. Furthermore, I took on the role of PBIS Coordinator, promoting positive behavior intervention strategies that fostered a supportive and inclusive learning environment. As the Yearbook Advisor, I nurtured student creativity and provided guidance in journalistic pursuits.

Currently, I am teaching at a 9th Grade Center, where I continue to inspire students through engaging ELA and Journalism lessons. As a Mentor Teacher this year, I am dedicated to guiding and supporting fellow educators, sharing my expertise and facilitating professional growth.

With an unwavering dedication to student success, I thrive on empowering learners with the tools they need to excel academically and beyond. My tutoring approach is tailored to each student’s unique needs, providing personalized support and fostering a love for learning.

I am excited to bring my passion for teaching and extensive experience to the tutoring position, enabling students to reach their full potential and achieve their academic goals.

I look forward to working with and supporting you this semester!

Called to pursue both education and literature, I feel right at home helping students learn to appreciate and love writing, literature, and all that the world of English has to offer. I have a B.A. in English and two years of writing tutoring experience at the college level, and I have seen papers from almost every subject you can imagine—English, literature, history, public speaking, and even chemistry! 

I like to approach tutoring sessions with empathy and compassion so students feel comfortable, seen, and heard. Every student is different, and my job as a tutor is to understand them and help them see skills in which they may not be confident. In addition to helping students learn material and gain specific skills, I also want to guide them into greater confidence in themselves and their unique abilities. 

I am currently pursuing an M.A. in Literature (with a focus in 19th-Century Romanticism) from Texas State University, set to be an Instructional Assistant for a literature survey course in the 2024-25 academic year. 

Outside of academia, I like to write poetry, play Dungeons and Dragons, and knit the occasional scarf. 

I look forward to working with ACC’s students, staff, and faculty this semester!

My passion is serving the ACC writing community through empathetic, student-centered tutoring. Some of you may remember me from the Cypress Creek Learning Lab as an hourly writing tutor. As a former ACC student, I love collaborating with the students and faculty here!

I began tutoring at Texas State University where I also earned my BA in English. I have experience as a college composition instructor, tutored students in a variety of writing projects, and coordinated new tutor training. Currently, I am a Tutoring Specialist with the Online Learning Lab as of July 2024. My experience in the classroom and as a longtime ACC community member makes me familiar with classroom expectations and what it’s like being a student.

Each session I focus on illuminating different aspects of the writing process to help you feel comfortable growing as a writer, from thesis statements, draft edits, citation questions, or even getting started with brainstorming a paper topic. My overall goal is to help you feel confident and to develop the tools to express yourself in writing. I understand that getting started is daunting, but with time and constructive feedback, the writing process does not have to be a scary or lonely one!

I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together!

Carrie Kaplan is a proud alumna of Dartmouth College (B.A., English Cum Laude) and Harvard University (Harvard School of Continuing Education; Research Fellow, Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research at Harvard University). She holds an M.S. Ed. in English and English Education (CUNY Queens College) and M.A. and Ph.D (ABD) in Theater History and Performance Studies (The University of Texas at Austin). Throughout her tenure at both Dartmouth and UT Austin, she served as the head writing tutor for the respective institutional writing centers and has continued to serve as a freelance academic editor, shepherding hundreds of academic articles, dissertations, thesis projects and full length manuscripts through to publication. She has extensive experience working with non-native speakers across academic disciplines from secondary to post-graduate writing levels as well as individuals with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD and anxiety. She has over fifteen years experience teaching college level classes with writing intensive requirements and an equal level of experience in standardized testing prep (ACT/SAT/TOEFL) and college application preparation. As a scholar, she has received numerous grants and fellowships to fund her own research into the neuro-cognitive and social-emotional development of empathy in academic and artistic settings. As such, her approach to student writing and interviewing skills includes a powerful mix of rigor, humor and compassion as well as attention to multiple learning styles and modalities. Her own writing has been published by Yale Press and the LMDA Review.